Uncovered SLO


Human blood and fibers discovered in Kristin Smart murder case

By KAREN VELIE San Luis Obispo County investigators discovered human blood under the home of Paul Flores’ father in 2021, court records show. They also found fabric fibers in the place where they believe the body of Kristin Smart was... (Continue reading)

Paul Flores’ sex life revealed, numerous rapes alleged

By KAREN VELIE A San Luis Obispo County judge Wednesday refused to allow prosecutors to add two Los Angeles rape charges to the case against Paul Flores, charged in the 1996 murder of Kristin Smart. Judge Craig van Rooyen said... (Continue reading)

SLO County supervisors argue over clerk recorder appointment

By KAREN VELIE The majority of the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday to allow applicants to apply for the county clerk-recorder’s position — to the dismay of the board minority. Supervisors Bruce Gibson and Dawn... (Continue reading)

Flores could face 2 LA rape charges in Kristin Smart case

By KAREN VELIE The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office is moving to add two charges of rape of an intoxicated person in its case against Paul Flores, charged with the 1996 murder of Kristin Smart. The charges involve... (Continue reading)

Santa Maria attorney accused of defrauding a client to pay for her lavish lifestyle

By KAREN VELIE A Santa Maria attorney is facing 13 felony charges after she allegedly embezzled more than $400,000 from an elderly client which she then used to fund her lavish lifestyle. A judge on Tuesday awarded her client’s beneficiaries... (Continue reading)

Race-baiting and misinformation mar SLO County official’s departure

By KAREN VELIE San Luis Obispo County’s clerk recorder Tommy Gong applied to be the Contra Costa County deputy county clerk recorder in March. He accepted the job before May 4 and announced his departure in June. His job change... (Continue reading)

San Luis Obispo leads the Central Coast in hate crimes

By KAREN VELIE The city of San Luis Obispo leads the Central Coast in the number of hate crimes reported to law enforcement in 2020, according to a report from the California Attorney General’s Office. There were 12 hate crimes... (Continue reading)

SLO County red tags People’s Self-Help Housing project in Los Osos

By KAREN VELIE People’s Self Help Housing is under fire after they allegedly clear cut approximately an acre of wetlands in Los Osos, all without a permit. Wetland are complex ecological resources that are protected under state and federal laws.... (Continue reading)

San Luis Obispo County IWMA director explains resignation, misconceptions

By KAREN VELIE The executive director of San Luis Obispo County’s waste management agency is resigning after his attempts to overcome board divisions failed. But conflicting statements in local media and mistakes in the Tribune have created questions about the... (Continue reading)

SLO County judge denies gag order in Black Lives Matter cases

By KAREN VELIE A San Luis Obispo County judge on Friday denied a request by prosecutors to put a lid on the outspoken defendants and their attorneys in the case against a group of Black Lives Matter protesters who blocked... (Continue reading)